The holidays are upon us, and with family, friends and fur-babies coming for visits, it is important that during this busy month, we keep an eye on a few things around the house, too.

• Check your flue. Fireplaces can create a comfortable atmosphere this time of year, but can also be a hazard. If you have a wood-burning stove, make sure the flue is cleaned out to minimize the risk of a flue fire. If you have a natural gas fireplace, check outside to make sue the vent isn’t blocked (sometimes bird build nests in there) and vacuum the dust and spider webs off the faux logs.

• Visually inspect your attic. If you are digging out your holiday decorations from the attic, take a look at your attic. Look for water damage and signs of insect or pests, such as wasp nests or rodent droppings.

• After the first snowfall, take note if the snow is melting from the roof rapidly. This may mean that heat is escaping through your roof. If this is the case, take a look at your attic insulation and make sure it is thick and evenly distributed.

• Don’t overload outlets. Tis the season for overuse of extension cords. Play it safe by limiting the plugs to no more than three per extension cord and only one extension cord per outlet.

• Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. There is usually a lot of baking happening in the kitchen – and accidents can happen. Make sure you top chef knows where the fire extinguisher is and how to operate it.

• Clean behind appliances. Gently push out your oven and refrigerator and clean behind them. You’d be surprised at what you’ll find!

The Metzler Home Builders team wishes you a safe, fun and festive holiday season!

Winter weather will be here sooner than you think, so take some time to do a little maintenance around the house to make sure it is ready to go before the snow, ice and blustery wind get here.

• Store your outside gardening tools. Take one more walk around the house to make sure that all of your gardening tools, lawn furniture, planters and hoses are put away for the winter.

• Clean out your gutters. While you may have already done this once earlier this fall, look at your gutters again to make sure all the late-fall leaves are removed. Debris in your gutters can cause water to dam up and freeze. If you are unable to safely check your gutters yourself, be sure to hire a professional who can take care of it for you.

• Cut back branches. If you have trees and shrubs that are close to your home, trim back any branches that can scrape against the outside.

• Organize your winter tools and supplies. Take a look at your winter shovels and snow-thrower and make sure they are all in good working order before they are needed. Now might be a good time to stock up on deicing agents, too, as they are often hard to find once snow is in the forecast.

• Schedule furnace maintenance. If you haven’t already done so, have your HVAC contractor do a “preventative maintenance” checkup on your furnace. They will clean and inspect it to make sure it is in good working order all winter long.

• Clean your garbage disposal. Before holiday cooking and baking get in full swing, clean your garbage disposal. To do so, pour a half cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of vinegar into the disposal. This will cause a frothing reaction. When that subsides, carefully pour a large pot of boiling water down the drain, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards, run tap water down the running disposal until it is rinsed thoroughly.

Fall is the season to button-up your home before winter sets in. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a cold, wet and snowy winter in Central PA, so it is important that you take time now to inspect your home and fix anything that could potentially be a problem later on.

• Schedule furnace maintenance. We mentioned this last month, but it is worth repeating again. To keep your furnace in the best working order, have your HVAC contractor do a “preventative maintenance” checkup on your furnace. They will clean your furnace and inspect it for any parts that need to be repaired or replaced to keep your furnace in good working order all winter long.

• Disconnect hoses. If you still have any garden hoses attached to the house, now is the time to detach and store them. Make sure the pipe that leads to the outside spigot is completely drained and turned off (from the inside). If water is left inside the pipe, it can expand and burst during the freezing months.

• Store containers and paints indoors. Remove the soil from your clay or ceramic pots and planters. Dirt left in these containers could freeze and cause the pots to crack or break if left outside. Additionally, remove all liquid materials, like paint and caulk, from the unheated garage and outdoor shed.

• Check weather stripping around doors. Check the weather stripping around all exterior doors and replace, if needed. Pay particular attention to the seals around your garage door to keep this area insulated tightly, as well as to keep out small animals seeking shelter.

• Organize your garage. Store summer garden tools and toys, and bring out the snow shovels and ice melt. Make sure a snow/ice scrapper is in each vehicle, too, as we often seen freezing rain in the latter part of the month.

• Clear fall leaves. Continue to clear fall leaves from gutters and around your furnace intake pipes to prevent any blockage.

• Lawn reseeding. Cool nights and warm days make it an ideal time to aerate your yard and reseed and/or patch up areas. There is still enough sun during the day for the seeds to germinate before going into hibernation, and come spring, you’ll have a fuller, healthier yard to enjoy.

• Inspect your deck, stairs and walkways. Take the time to inspect your deck and outdoor walkways for signs of worn boards or cracks, and fix and replace as needed. This could prevent someone from slipping and falling during the icy winter months.

• Make sure your roof is in good shape. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense, so if you notice anything unusual, contact a professional roofer to get it inspected. A little money invested now will save you a bundle later.